Andrii Smykovskyi

• Caroline Palmer, Wenbo Yi & Andrii Smykovskyi (2026). Synchrony and Reciprocity in Rhythmic Interaction. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. ISSN 0077-8923. 1560(1). doi: 10.1111/nyas.70326. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Multiperson rhythmic tasks such as music performance, dance, and chant typically result in a sequence of actions or events that must be coordinated temporally across individuals. Is reciprocity a bidirectional influence among individuals who perform some action or behavior together, necessary for successful synchronization or for enhancing social interactions among those individuals? Reciprocity is considered a fundamental mechanism for promoting prosocial behavior between individuals and in evolutionary biology. We examine group rhythmic auditory tasks in terms of behavioral synchrony (e.g., body movements, tone onsets); physiological synchrony (e.g., cardiac and respiratory rhythms); and emotional synchrony (e.g., shared emotional responses). The paper identifies scientific studies that test whether reciprocity at one level (behavioral, physiological, emotional) is also shared between those individuals at another level. We review distinctions between individual differences and group‐level differences that may influence behavioral, physiological, and emotional synchrony. Understanding reciprocal relationships among group members is important for psychological and computational models of how relationships evolve over time in auditory rhythmic behaviors.

• Andrii Smykovskyi, Bravo van Kerrebroeck, Jonna Katariina Vuoskoski & Caroline Palmer (2026). Individual Tempo Asymmetries and Coupling Dynamics in Dyadic Musical Synchronization. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. 48, p. 4659–4665. doi: https:/escholarship.org/uc/item/40q8w4b4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Interpersonal synchronization supports social interaction by enabling coordinated behavior and shared emotional experience, yet how emotions influence the mechanisms underlying synchronization remains poorly understood. We investigated how emotional feedback influences auditory–motor synchronization between dyadic partners with faster and slower Spontaneous Production Rates (SPR). Nonmusicians completed a joint tapping task with pre-feedback, feedback (matched or mismatched positive or negative), and post-feedback phases. Temporal asynchronies were modeled using a delay-coupled oscillator model to estimate participant-specific coupling parameters. Model comparisons between delay-coupled and zero-delay models showed that allowing for a delay significantly improved model fit. Slower-SPR partners coupled more strongly than faster partners, while feedback valence did not affect coupling strength. Coupling strength was positively associated with arousal in pre-feedback trials and with perceived synchronization success under mismatched feedback trials. These findings demonstrate the role of intrinsic frequency differences and shared feedback structure in organizing interpersonal synchronization and its subjective correlates.

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• Andrii Smykovskyi, Bavo van Kerrebroeck, Jonna Katariina Vuoskoski & Caroline Palmer (2026). Individual Tempo Asymmetries and Coupling Dynamics in Dyadic Musical Synchronization. Show summary

  Interpersonal synchronization supports social interaction by enabling coordinated behavior and shared emotional experience, yet how emotions influence the mechanisms underlying synchronization remains poorly understood. We investigated how emotional feedback influences auditory–motor synchronization between dyadic partners with faster and slower Spontaneous Production Rates (SPR). Nonmusicians completed a joint tapping task with pre-feedback, feedback (matched or mismatched positive or negative), and post-feedback phases. Temporal asynchronies were modeled using a delay-coupled oscillator model to estimate participant-specific coupling parameters. Model comparisons between delay-coupled and zero-delay models showed that allowing for a delay significantly improved model fit. Slower-SPR partners coupled more strongly than faster partners, while feedback valence did not affect coupling strength. Coupling strength was positively associated with arousal in pre-feedback trials and with perceived synchronization success under mismatched feedback trials. These findings demonstrate the role of intrinsic frequency differences and shared feedback structure in organizing interpersonal synchronization and its subjective correlates.

• Andrii Smykovskyi (2026). Emotions: The Human Wi-Fi. doi: https:/op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/fddb2f69-7b56-11f1-bf5e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Humans connect through rhythm more deeply than we realise. Our research explores how emotions and music shape the way we connect with others. At our booth, you can play simple melodies, watch your “human Wi-Fi signal” grow as you synchronise with friends, and discover how feelings influence your inner rhythm. Curious minds can also glimpse a beautiful mathematical model that shows how separate rhythms suddenly fall into sync. Come and experience how music, emotion and science meet in real time.

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